The First Down

[Ravenous1]

The yellow line from the TV was ahead of the correct first down marker by a good half yard. Also, it's hard to say exactly when Rice's knees touch the ground and where the ball is at that moment. It was a "neighborhood call" but it was hard to overturn.

Charger fans are so wrapped up in the spot they miss the bigger picture. The fact the Chargers let Rice get close enough that a spot on a 4th and 29 play beat them tells you why they are 4-7.

[Dade]

It was very close! I can't determine either way because the far side yard marker is not official. The near side marker that is official was blocked by players on the sideline on TV. Refs messed up by moving the chains before the review. Rice was either short by a few inches or made it by a few inches.

But it is what it is. Ravens have been on the short end of alot close calls before...karma seems to have turned. Besides SD still had multiple chances to win.

[ed from Bel Air]

The immaculate conversion.



(Or is that too Pittsburghesh?)

[JAB1985]

I think where the sticks originally were it should have been really really close. To me I think he had it, not by a mile like they ended up by but by a hair. I know the yellow line isnt officially but he clearly got past that, imo, and couldnt have been that much off from where it really was. If we didnt get it, we didnt get it. I dont like bad calls whether we benefit or not and there were plenty in that game for both sides to be upset about.

[JAB1985]

Anyway, the holding on Yanda was utter, utter BS on the screen. I normally do not get too much into trying to keep score with penalties and who is getting screwed. But the Yanda call was just so bad, was right before the Rice play, and made the conversion so much more impossible to imagine that I absolutely have no qualms taking the extra foot on that spot. It isn't like San Diego didn't let Rice pick up 28.5 yards on the play (inexcusable for them), i.e. Rice earned it and then some.

good point. we wouldnt have needed an extra foot if they didnt call that BS penalty. He should have been good by 9 yards because of that.

I still think 3 feet from knee to outstretched arms isnt that unrealistic. I get the argument because where they spotted the ball was a joke and not physically possible, but to get the actual first down where it was originally at i feel was possible.

[Ravenswintitle]

the play itself was unbelievable and when Boldin laid that block - OMG. I thought the spot was about right and they took forever to review it so they obviously felt it was accurate.

what a play, what a game

[JohnBKistler]

First-off, the Chargers need to shut up about this play. If I am Gene Steratore, I am telling the Chargers to shut-up because they couldn't defend a 4th and 29 and instead put his crew into a very difficult review situation.

Regarding the spot...yes, it was difficult because of the length of the play the line officials were trailing the play. I thought they spotted it pretty accurately the first time.

Regarding the review...the call on the field was first down. To overturn that call, and move the ball back, you need conclusive evidence. There was not a single angle that showed Rice with his knee down and the ball short of marker. Was he short? I don't know, maybe, but again, show me the replay that shows that. There was the one side-line view, but the ball was blocked by Rice and the defender. The end-zone view was worthless because you cannot tell exactly how far he had the ball in front of him when his knees touched.

This is very similar to the Santanio Holmes "touchdown" in the 2008 game in Baltimore. There was never a video that showed Holmes with possession of the ball, and the ball across the goal line. Yet, Walt Coleman inexplicably overturned the call on the field.

I am still not happy that Steratore's crew moved the original spot based on the inconclusive replays, but I am happy the way it turned out in the end.

[Flipping Birdie]

I just measured the distance between my knees and where Rice was cradling the ball. I'm 5'10", Rice is 5'8" (officially), so the difference in that measurement between us is likely less than one inch. My measurement was EXACTLY one yard. Presuming his knee landed on the 35 yard line, the spot should have been on the 34 yard line. I think his knee hit the turf a few inches past the 35 yard line. Had there been a perfect camera angle, I suspect it would have been spotted an inch or two short. Thank you-know-who for bad camera angles!

[NCRAVEN]

I just measured the distance between my knees and where Rice was cradling the ball. I'm 5'10", Rice is 5'8" (officially), so the difference in that measurement between us is likely less than one inch. My measurement was EXACTLY one yard. Presuming his knee landed on the 35 yard line, the spot should have been on the 34 yard line. I think his knee hit the turf a few inches past the 35 yard line. Had there been a perfect camera angle, I suspect it would have been spotted an inch or two short. Thank you-know-who for bad camera angles!

Bout sums up what I saw. Rice's knee hit about the 35 with him leaning forward with his height, puts him about the 34, just an inch or two short.

All that said, I just wish the refs would have said no conclusive evidence the call on the field stands.

[pslholder96]

Well the spot was a tough call for the refs, they moved the ball back a yard and was inconclusive. I thought the replay system was to overturn bad calls only, not to pick hairs. One thing I liked about the replacement refs was the stuck to the play on the feild UNLESS is was a bad call on the feild and it was obvious. The replacement refs are better, IMO than the regular ones.

One thing to remember was that was set up by a phantom holding penalty on Yanda on Rices 6 yard reception, that put the Ravens at 1St and 20 intstead of 2 and 4. That call was horrendous.

That call was definately awful. I was fuming..

[moose10101]

Not a single camera angle from the far side of the field. Not a single camera with an angle perpendicular to Rice's body. What are the odds?

[lobachevsky]

The immaculate conversion.



(Or is that too Pittsburghesh?)

If Uncle Ben's is the original converted rice, maybe we should start calling R2 "Ben Uncle", as in Rice converted!

(No? :( Well, hey, it's a dyslexic thing--you wouldn't standunder...)